N.R. Allen's Blog, page 3
July 23, 2012
Spiders or Snakes?
One of my favorite scenes from the movie "Something Wicked this Way Comes" is the one where the spiders are creeping up on the kids, while the boys are in their bedrooms. There's something about slow deliberation that drives us, the viewer, crazy. Especially, when there isn't just one, but tons of the things.
Spiders look so alien to us. Maybe that's why they scare us. That and they bite. The hairy legs and the slow creep are enough to drive anyone nuts.
But snakes have that certain, wicked charm. They don't move like us. They slither. Also, they don't always bite. But there's just the thought of them biting and the poisonous ones can kill us.
Rattlesnakes, most of all, are interesting. They give us a warning before they get us. The shake of the tail that says, "Um, hey, buddy, I'm here." The sound scares us, but it's more of a warning than anything else.
I've come across rattlesnakes before. There's something about the shape of the head, something that's so foreign to us, that makes the thing look evil or more likely, not like us.
Religion, most of us, latches on to snakes, not spiders. There's the snake in the garden of Eden and the devil as a serpent. All interesting things to play with in the new book.
So, what's scarier? Spiders or snakes?
Spiders look so alien to us. Maybe that's why they scare us. That and they bite. The hairy legs and the slow creep are enough to drive anyone nuts.
But snakes have that certain, wicked charm. They don't move like us. They slither. Also, they don't always bite. But there's just the thought of them biting and the poisonous ones can kill us.
Rattlesnakes, most of all, are interesting. They give us a warning before they get us. The shake of the tail that says, "Um, hey, buddy, I'm here." The sound scares us, but it's more of a warning than anything else.
I've come across rattlesnakes before. There's something about the shape of the head, something that's so foreign to us, that makes the thing look evil or more likely, not like us.
Religion, most of us, latches on to snakes, not spiders. There's the snake in the garden of Eden and the devil as a serpent. All interesting things to play with in the new book.
So, what's scarier? Spiders or snakes?
July 19, 2012
Looking for a name . . .
In the new novel a character just sprang in there and basically said, "Writer, here I am!" I suppose characters just kind of do that sometimes or maybe it's just to me. I hadn't planned on an extra character. But I don't think she's going to go away anytime soon.
And I need a name . . . She's dark and mysterious . . . seductive with no good intentions whatsoever.
Any suggestions?
And I need a name . . . She's dark and mysterious . . . seductive with no good intentions whatsoever.
Any suggestions?
July 18, 2012
What scares you?
Still working on the new novel. I definitely want this want to have a strong urban fantasy flavor, mixed with some chills of mild horror. I'm also hoping to have more tension and thrills in there.
But what scares people? Most horror movies are great until the monster is revealed . . . It's what we don't see that really seems to get us. Not the severed hand creeping around in the dark, but the THOUGHT of the severed hand that could be creeping around in the dark. The only problem is that once we finally see the severed hand we think . . . "Yeah, it's a hand."
But what scares people? Most horror movies are great until the monster is revealed . . . It's what we don't see that really seems to get us. Not the severed hand creeping around in the dark, but the THOUGHT of the severed hand that could be creeping around in the dark. The only problem is that once we finally see the severed hand we think . . . "Yeah, it's a hand."
July 5, 2012
Starting a new novel
It's always hard to get out of an old story and into a new one. I think I finally have all of the old story out of my head.
No vampires this time. The new book seems to be heading in a dark, urban fantasy direction.
No vampires this time. The new book seems to be heading in a dark, urban fantasy direction.
